


She Holds The Key

by marvelwlwmk0208



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian, natasha romanov - Freeform, relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 11:53:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19356514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelwlwmk0208/pseuds/marvelwlwmk0208
Summary: “Blue met green, and as the assassins hand came to rest on MK’s cheek, the turmoil in her head quieted for a moment, and her a funny feeling occurred upon her. This felt like home.”MK, eldest Maximoff sibling is rescued from HYDRA by the Avengers. This is her story of how she recovers, and finds love with a certain red-headed assassin.





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Notes for Chapter 1: MK is my original character. She has the same powers as Wanda in the movie, and also is superhuman like Steve and Bucky. 
> 
> This is my first ever time writing a fic so bear with it.

Chapter 1 - Beginnings

MK stared into the small, cracked mirror that hung on the decrepit wall of her small room. It was more like a cell to her than a place to abide, and certainly not a place she could call a home. She had been moved around several compounds in her years as a test subject for Hydra. After the Winter Soldier became compromised, MK became their most valuable asset, and best-kept secret. She knew this because in all her time, and all the places she had been, she was followed by the same scientists and guards, rarely seeing new faces. She stared at the face that looked back at her in the mirror, struggling to reconcile who that person was. It was so easy to get lost in her own head, to spiral out of control, and it was a journey she had taken more times than she cared to admit. MK began to work through the grounding process taught to her by a guard at one of her first facilities, who had shown sympathy towards her. She was young, and looked all too kind to be working with an organisation like Hydra. She had caught MK panicking once in her cell and came in to calm her down and taught her how to ground herself. It was the first sliver of kindness shown to her by any of those people, and it was also the last. MK never saw her again after that.

“My name is Milano Keileta Maximoff. My brother is Pietro, he is fast. My sister is Wanda, she is like me. They call me MK, I love them. I will protect them.” This had become her daily mantra in some futile attempt to remember who she was, even though the warm, happy teenage girl that was taken 8 years ago was a stark contrast to the strong, stoic yet cold and closed off girl that looked back at her in the mirror. Her appearance had changed marginally. Her eyes were still light green orbs that bordered on blue in the right light, but they have lost all the life that once glittered there. Her hair was still chestnut brown with blonde lowlights at the ends, and it laid in thick waves that cascaded down below her shoulders. The only thing that had changed greatly was her body. MK stood now, and began to once again examine the figure that appeared in the mirror. She had always been relatively slim, but now her body was toned and rough, and there were defined muscles in places that she didn’t even know muscles existed. Her once clear planes of smooth skin were now marked with a hundred scars, and sometimes she could still feel pain where bruises once bloomed. Thanks to the serum and years of rigorous training, her body was strong and almost unbreakable, though they tried their best to break it. For ‘research’, of course.

There was one big change of course, how could she forget. MK looked down now at her hands and watched as the crimson energy came to life and danced around her fingers like fire. She looked at the objects that littered the floor of her cell. A Rubik’s cube, a book, and more miscellaneous objects came to life as she directed her focus towards them. MK made them dance an intricate recital around the room without even breaking a sweat. Her powers had come on far, and each day she explored just how far she could push them and discover new abilities, new ways to walk through another persons mind or control the world around her. At first her captors kept her contained to control her, but now she knew they feared what she could do. She had good control, but her powers were seemingly directly linked with her emotions. MK has always had a temper, but now when she lost it, it almost always ended in destruction. Wanda had been given the same abilities, but hers are new and just beginning, they looked meek in comparison to MK. She was happy to discover that they had spared her younger sister the serum. It was hell having to learn to control herself and her new strength for fear of hurting others with a simple handshake, and she was glad that it was her who bore that struggle and not her baby sister.

She felt an all too familiar hurt in her chest as she thought of her siblings. She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind to try and connect with them. MK found it easy to access them, she assumed because of their genetic link and Wanda’s similar psychic abilities. She could see that they were both sat in their adjacent cells down the corridor from hers. Pietro was a blue flash as he idly dashed around his cell, clearly suffering from cabin fever. Wanda sat on the floor, eyes closed in frustration, trying her best to lift objects into the air with her powers. She was managing to balance 2 objects, and MK felt a smile reaching her face, the sensation felt almost alien. She couldn’t remember the last time she smiled, but this moment of genuine pride in her sister managed to coax a smile out of her usually unreadable mask of a face. Despite this, MK still couldn’t shake the guilt that she felt.

She was kidnapped by Hydra 8 years ago when she was 16, just months after bombings had taken out her home and parents, and left her the sole guardian of the twins, who were 11 at the time. She didn’t see them for almost 7 years, and mourned them every day as if they had died. It wasn’t until about a year ago when she was roughly awoken by a swift kick to the stomach and informed that they were packing up and moving to a new facility, some place ran by a guy named Strucker. Despite the years of pain she had endured, MK was sure that in the moment she was reunited with Wanda and Pietro, she felt pure joy and elation. Since then, they were allowed to be in each other’s company every day, but speaking was almost always forbidden. Although it was pleasing to be able to converse with Wanda psychically, a small rebellion but one nonetheless, she missed talking with Pietro, and still felt pain at the years she had missed out on with her siblings, and all the horrors she had failed to protect them from. The bitter irony did not go amiss. She was now physically able to protect them from most threats, but they had already been subject to pain and torture not unlike her own, and MK felt as if she had failed them.

MK was abruptly brought back to reality from her musings by the sound of panicked shouts and alarms going off in the distance. Confused, she began to concentrate on the world outside of her cell, and reached out in an attempt to understand the new commotion. All of a sudden, as if a switch had been flicked in her head, she was listening in to verbal exchanges, picking up words and phrases until eventually she could focus and hear whole conversations. “ _That’s a new one on me”_ , she internally remarked. In her head, it sounded like she was trying to tune a radio and picking up fragments from a multitude of channels. Her ears pricked up at a certain exchange:

“What about the twins?” a familiar male voice hissed.  
“No, they are not ready” retorted the other man, who MK recognised as Strucker.  
Her heart rate increased, and she could almost hear it in her ears. The twins were in trouble.

Concentrating harder, she tried to pick up on more conversations. She heard a loud metallic bang, followed by a gruff “Shit!”, immediately followed by “Language!” that sounded like it came from an exasperated Dad berating his teenage son. MK was even more confused. She sat for a short while trying to piece together what was happening, until she heard words that sent chills down her spine. “We have two enhanced in the field, do not engage.” That was Wanda and Pietro. She had to get out of this prison. All of a sudden, her mind became overrun with anger, towards the cowards that kept her locked away and towards herself for once again failing to protect her siblings. As she let it flow through her, she felt stronger, until she released the heat in a focused blast towards her cell door. It blew off its hinges as easy as a flame being extinguished with a breath. She smirked, impressed by her power and set off sprinting, focusing her mind on Wanda so she could find them.


	2. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MK meets the Avengers and most importantly, Natasha. More of her backstory and some angst but also fluff with Natasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings - talks of torture and physical abuse, mentions of suicide attempts. Also a short nightmare/flashback sequence, and some mild language. There are no graphic details in the chapter but I thought I’d put a warning just in case. Leave some comments with feedback/suggestions!

** Chapter 2 - Earth’s Mightiest Heroes **

 

MK heard herself panting as she dashed through the compound, heading towards the direction of Wanda’s thoughts, her superhuman speed and strength making light work of the distance. She rounded a corner and skidded to a halt. Wanda and Pietro were crouched down hiding behind an upturned table. Just down the hall a few feet away, a Hydra agent was battling with a tall, blonde man dressed in red and blue, swinging around a shield that moved with him as if it were an extra limb. He made swift work of the agent, then focused his gaze on MK. She quickly put herself between the twins and him, red fire already dancing at her fingertips ready to protect them. 

 

“What are you doing MK?!”  Pietro asked. 

“Protecting my family” MK replied, a statement for the flagged man to hear. Then, he did something she didn’t expect. He slowly put his shield on the floor, and put his hands in the air. She tried to read his expression for any sign of malice, but his face showed concern and a genuine kindness. 

 

“My name is Steve Rogers, you may know me as Captain America.”  _Holy shit_ , MK thought.  _That’s Captain America_.  “What do you want?” She asked back, hating that her voice trembled but still trying to compose her face into a stern glare. “I want to help you and your siblings get out of here. My team, the Avengers, are here to rescue you.” She grit her teeth at that. Everyone who had ever hurt her had claimed they were trying to help her, why should she believe this guy just because he was flashing his smile at her. 

“Why should I believe you, all you people ever do is hurt us” MK summoned her power now, and the red energy wrapped around her arms like tendrils, and she aimed her hand at the Captain, ready to set it off if he threatened them. 

“Nat, I could do with an assist right now”, Steve said out loud, which MK assumed was into his comms. She steeled herself even further to prepare for the arrival of more Avengers.

 

To her surprise, a woman rounded the corner, with no visible weapons raised or poised to kill her. MK took a second to study her. She had shockingly red hair that fell just past her chin and was tamed into neat curls. From where MK stood she could see the sapphire blue of her eyes that were studying her, examining her. MK felt vulnerable and scrutinised under her gaze, but there was also a certain comfort that she was radiating. She began to make slow, cautious steps towards MK, and she raised her hands again and summoned her energy, hands shaking and arms trembling now. MK felt tired, tired of fighting to live and for her siblings to live, tired of being reduced to a weapon to be controlled by those who had malicious intent. As if she could read MK’s thoughts, she spoke to her. 

“You’re not a weapon, you are more than what they made you. Let me help you, I can see you’re in pain.” She carried on making slow steps towards MK until she stopped about a foot away from her. 

“I don’t want this life, I want to get them out.” She glanced past MK and looked at where Wanda and Pietro were watching the scene unravel. Then, she moved her hand towards MK’s, and slowly began to lower it. She let her powers retreat, never breaking eye contact with the woman. As she looked in her eyes, MK felt a sense of safety, and a shared understanding, almost as if she knew her pain, as if she had lived it herself. She wrapped her hand around hers, and brought her other hand to her face where she cupped MK’s cheek. She didn’t realise there were tears falling down her face until she softly wiped them away with her thumb. 

“I promise, we are going to get you all out of here, and to somewhere new and safe. I’m going to help you, but you have to trust me. Okay?” Her voice was low and smooth and MK felt her resolve give in. “Okay” MK said, “Just please get us out”. She let out a shaky breath she didn’t realise she was holding and the redhead gave her a warm smile. “What’s your name?” she asked her. She pondered over her answer before saying “MK”. She smiled again. “Well, MK, my names Natasha. It’s nice to meet you.” 

 

—————————————————————

The way out had been a struggle. Natasha led MK onwards as she kept the twins fiercely by her side, whilst the other Avengers and SHIELD agents fought the Hydra agents. The battle was hard, but they won. MK now sat on something called a Quinjet with Wanda and Pietro and all the other Avengers. Natasha had moved to talk with her teammates, but never let her out of her sight, sending her small but reassuring smiles whenever she met her gaze. Her head started to pound, realising she was exhausted as the days events finally caught up to her. She decided to move to a separate area of the jet where there was a makeshift bed on the floor, and try to lie down and rest, away from prying eyes. Natasha noticed that she moved and frowned to herself, but decided to let her have some time alone. Unbeknownst to MK, the Avengers began to discuss her and her siblings’ fate. 

 

“What do their files say, Agent Hill?” asked Tony. His brow was furrowed in deep thought. 

“The twins are Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, from Sokovia. They’ve been at Struckers facility for just over a year, they’re 18 years old. Weird thing is they volunteered for the programme”

“Yeah, who would be crazy enough to let a German scientist experiment on them.” Steve remarked, sending a look in Maria’s direction.

“We aren’t at war anymore, Cap.” Maria fired back, in her defence.

“They are.” Steve ended.

“What are we looking at in terms of abilities?” questioned Bruce, the scientist in him yearning for more knowledge.

“Pietro has an enhanced metabolism that manifests in faster healing and advanced strength, but his main thing is super speed. Wanda has psychokinetic abilities, so you can expect typical telepathy, possibly mind manipulation or control, and she can also move things with her mind. Her powers are pretty weak as of now, she was only in the very first stages of training when we got her out. Still, judging by reports here they seem to think there’s a huge amount of potential.” The crew listened intently as Maria read from the files they took from the compound.

“What about the eldest sister? MK.” Natasha asked

“There’s a hell of a lot more data regarding her. Full name is Milano Keileta Maximoff. She was taken by Hydra 8 years ago when she was 16. Her parents had been killed a few months prior, she had been taking care of the twins. Wait a sec - these reports show that she was given a version of the serum given to you, Steve. But she also has the same abilities as Wanda, only much more advanced.”

Steve rubbed his hands over his face as he took in this new information. 

“Hold on a minute”, Steve began, “Is this another attempt at creating a Winter Soldier? What was Hydra’s play here?”

Natasha remained silent in her thoughts. Her heart almost broke for MK, taken as a child, and subject to horrors that couldn’t be imagined. It resonated strongly with her own story of the Red Room. When she saw MK and looked into her eyes, she saw so much pain and fear, but still there was kindness there. She saw that she was suffering and wanted to help. All that was on her mind was MK.

Maria scrolled through more data, looking for things of relevance. 

“Guys, this stuff on MK, it’s bad. The serum was administered pretty early on, and she was ruthlessly trained in combat day in and day out. They pushed her body to the max, essentially trying to break her. It’s not just that though, looks like there were several instances of torture. Electric shock therapy, physical beatings whenever she was disobedient. Then they gave her the powers. Looks like she showed immense capabilities and progressed and learnt control at a fast rate, but it states here that there was some emotional instability.Anger and traumatic episodes all linked with PTSD, they had her on anti-depressants as well. Nightmares, flashbacks, and looks like she landed in the med-bay a few times after attempts on her life. The reports here showed that they intended to condition her, just like they did with the Winter Soldier, but whenever they tried she fought back, and she was way too powerful for them to contain. She’s been in a cell locked away for the last 3 months with no training whilst they tried to figure out a way to contain her.”

The gang remained in silence for a few poignant moments, all of them shocked to hear what HYDRA had put MK through. Tony was the first to speak up. “So what you’re saying is, she has all these powers, but she’s still herself. They didn’t change her brain, she’s still making conscious thought and decisions?” 

“Basically, yes.” Maria replied.

“It explains why she didn’t attack me or Nat” Steve explained, “She was just defending her siblings, but never actually attacked us. I don’t think she wanted to, she seemed scared.”

 

The crews discussions were interrupted by shouts coming from MK’s room, and moans that sounded like she was in pain. The twins were still asleep nearby. Clint stepped forward, looking ready to engage. “Should we investigate?” Natasha pushed past him instead. “Let me handle it”, she said. “I’ll yell if I need backup, in the meantime just keep your distance.” The crew stood back and watched as Natasha slowly entered MK’s room. 

 

—————————————————————

 

MK saw him stalk towards her, dressed in a lab coat one second and Hydra military uniform the next, his figure and face constantly changing. She felt each blow land as if it was real, each punch and kick. She tossed and turned in her bed, crying out, begging for them to stop. Natasha walked into the room and saw what has happening, she recognised that MK was trapped in a nightmare. She felt a strong but gentle hand on her shoulder that tried to shake her out of the dream, and her gentle voice spoke. “MK, it’s Natasha. It’s not real, it’s a dream, wake up. You’re okay, I’ve got you.” 

 

MK startled awake with a sharp gasp and sat upright in her bed. The room around her span and she felt pain, or rather the hauntings of pain. Her hand flew to her chest and clutched at her shirt, slightly damp with sweat, as she tried to catch her breath. All of a sudden, she registered a face in front of her. She tried to move away from the threat until the figure grabbed her hand and cupped her cheek with the other hand. MK closed her eyes, and began to relax at the familiar sensation. Once her senses began to focus again she heard a familiar voice whispering soothing words to her. MK opened her eyes and was met with those same wonderful blue eyes, and realised Natasha was sat on her mattress facing her, calming her down. MK sat in silence for a while, simply regaining her breath and willing her heart rate to calm to a normal rate. Once she felt present again, she spoke. “I’m sorry, I think I had a nightmare. I was still at the facility and there was someone there and they were hurting me-“

“Shhhh, you don’t have to explain it to me”, Natasha cut her off. “I know that you’re suffering and you have a lot of painful memories, but you don’t have to talk about them until you’re ready.”

MK let out a sigh of relief at that. Natasha’s  hand moved from her cheek to grab her other hand and move it to her lap, so that she held both of MK’s hands there, their fingers interlocked. Her thumb made slow circles on the back of MK’s calloused hand which calmed her further. She closed her eyes and leant towards Natasha, her forehead resting against the other woman’s. MK focused on her breathing and stayed there, feeling safe for the first time in a long time. After a while she spoke again. 

“We’ll be landing any minute now, we’re going to Avengers tower. You’ll be staying with us until we figure out what’s next and what’s best for you. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. You can stay with Wanda and Pietro and rest for a while. I have an apartment in the tower where I live, so I’ll be nearby if you need me. Does that sound okay?” Her voice was soft and smooth.

“Yeah that sounds good, it’s better than a cell.” MK replied with a dry chuckle. Natasha let out a small laugh at that.

“At least you’ve still got a sense of humour, hey?” She smiled at MK and looked into her eyes. She really was beautiful, her looks were breathtaking, but her heart and soul were captivating to MK. “Will you stay?” She asked tentatively, “I don’t want to be alone.”

“Of course.” She replied. With a quick look for MK’s approval and a small nod from her, Natasha moved herself up the mattress and sat next to MK, their backs to the wall. She put one arm around her shoulder and pulled MK into her side. MK’s head rested on her shoulder and she closed her eyes, feeling a little more peaceful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment with any ideas, suggestions or requests. <3


	3. Slipping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MK has arrived at Avengers tower but begins to struggle. Nat is there to help her through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING - this chapter contains some talk of self loathe and suicidal ideation, and there is a self-harm scene in this. It’s a pretty heavy chapter so please don’t read if it’s going to be troubling for you.

**Chapter 3 - Slipping**

MK looked around at her room in Stark tower. Just 48 hours ago she was locked away in a cell, and now she was sat on the comfiest, biggest bed she had ever seen in a luxurious apartment that was bigger than her family’s apartment back home in Sokovia, and it was all for her. MK couldn’t believe how drastically her life had changed, and for the better. The twins were already enjoying their new life, they had seemingly adjusted quite quickly and had already began to discover some of the delights that New York had to offer. They looked happy, so why wasn’t she?

She had tried, she had tried so damn hard but nothing could do it. MK assumed that she hadn’t been happy all those years in captivity because of the awful things she had to endure, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe MK was broken, that it was just her, and that wherever she went she could never be happy because she was so fucked up. Or is it just that when they gave MK her powers something changed in her. Their fault or hers? MK’s mind was creeping towards the latter option. She just couldn’t do this.

The first 2 years of her captivity, MK fought to stay alive because she believed that she had a chance, that she would get out or someone would rescue her so she had to keep fighting. Slowly her will began to fade away, and eventually MK had become like an emotionless robot, going through the motions of life because it was what she had always done, and she didn’t care anymore. Then when the twins arrived, MK found a new motivation. She had to fight for them. She had to get them out, they still had a chance, they hadn’t been royally screwed up yet like MK had been. And now that was done, the twins were out and safe and happy, so what was left for her to do? Isn’t her purpose completed, can’t she rest now? MK’s mind, her body, her heart and soul were tired. Everything in her screamed at her to just give up, to get out.

MK looked at the clock, 5:30pm. She hadn’t gotten out of bed since she woke up at 11, sleeping long because it was less painful than being awake. MK had remained undisturbed. She asked JARVIS to inform the others that she was resting and wished to be left alone. Truth be told she didn’t want to be alone, but MK knew she couldn’t burden anyone with her presence and her misery and guilt, so she rolled over in her bed and hid herself under the covers once more.

—————————————————————    

In the living room area, the Avengers along with Rhodey and Maria Hill were discussing MK and the twins’ arrival and the next steps to take.

“Fury has already come to the decision that he believes none of them are a threat, and they got through all of the interviews with flying colours. In fact, the twins seemed eager to start training and even become agents and go on missions. They showed a lot of motivation, they did well to not lose their spark whilst they were under Strucker’s watch. Our main concern is MK. Again, she’s not a threat, and was willing to co-operate, but her psych eval didn’t show a lot of promise, and honestly raised a lot of red flags.” The group listened intently as Maria briefed them all. Steve was the first to speak up.

“What about physical exam? Bruce, did you and Dr. Cho find anything worth noting?”

“In terms of abilities, the information we got from Strucker’s facility is pretty spot on, I don’t think there’s anything we don’t know. The twins showed good health and there was nothing to note. Again, the problems arose when we examined MK. X-rays and MRI showed history of multiple broken bones that have healed. Ribs showed a lot of previous damage, fingers had been broken countless times, there was signs of previous damage all over really. Her body is covered in scars, she was definitely treated with violence and the evidence of torture is there.”

A somber silence fell over the group as Bruce spoke. They had all only met MK within the last two days and already they felt awful about what she had endured, especially because she seemed to be a genuine, kind soul. None of the group felt this more so than Natasha. MK had a profound effect on her the first time they met, and she found her thoughts being clouded with her. Natasha spoke up next.

“Her file from HYDRA said she had multiple attempts on her life, did you find evidence of that?” Bruce fidgeted uncomfortably, clearly bothered by what he knew. “There were 4 attempts to be exact, 2 instances of overdose. Her file said she broke into where medicine was stored and overdosed. The first time she did it she came very close to succeeding, in fact we believe if it weren’t for her enhancements from the serum, she would have succeeded. She was confined to a bed for a week to recover, and as soon as she was discharged she was tortured as punishment. But we also found that her wrists and arms were covered in scars, that all seemed to be self-inflicted. Only some of them looked to be deep enough to be fatal, so this was obviously a coping mechanism. We found similar scars on her thighs too.” Bruce stopped there, because he didn’t want to say anymore. The whole examination had been uncomfortable for him and he found it even harder to repeat his findings to the group.

Natasha got up from her spot on the couch and walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and whilst her back was to the group she quickly swiped away the tears that had spilled out from her eyes. She looked towards the door of MK’s apartment, that was the neighbouring one to hers. She so desperately wanted to see her, just to let her know she was going to be okay, and that she cared. Upon her musings, she made the decision.

She walked over to MK’s door and raised her hand to knock, letting it hover there for a moment as she considered whether she would want to see her. Eventually she swallowed her pride and rapped on the door. Nothing. She listened carefully but no sound came from MK’s room. She knocked again, but to no avail. Slowly she started to become concerned, and began to knock a little more frantically. She turned to look at the group, who were all still deep in conversation. Once she was sure no one noticed her absence she opened the door and carefully slid into MK’s room.

She gently closed the door behind her and softly called out for her. “MK? Are you up?” She looked around the lounge of her apartment but she was nowhere to be seen. “MK? It’s Natasha, I just want to know if you’re okay, I haven’t seen you all day.” The concern was clear in her voice, even though she tried to steady it, the longer she went without seeing MK the more worried she got. Natasha could see that the door into her bedroom was wide open so decided to peer inside.

Again, she found nothing but an empty room, the covers in the bed tossed aside. As she stepped further into the room she heard a muffled noise. She listened closer and realised it was like crying, or heavy breathing? The sound was coming from MK’s aen-suite bathroom. She rushed to the door and tried the handle but it was locked. She began to frantically rattle the handle as she heard her cries more clearly. “MK?! Can you hear me? Is everything okay, can you open the door for me?” She could hear MK sobbing now, and her heart began to race. “MK please can you just unlock the door for me?” She was practically begging now, almost ready to start crying with her. Suddenly, the door handle glowed a faint red and she heard the lock click open. She swung the door open and rushed into the bathroom, her eyes widening in shock as she registered the sight that met her.

MK was sat on the floor of the bathroom, knees to her chest and head in her hands rocking herself as she cried. But the sight that alarmed Natasha the most was the small pool of blood forming on the floor running from MK’s arms. She saw a bloody razor blade discarded on the floor next to her and quickly pieced everything together, realising what MK had done. She took a quick moment to mentally pull herself together, knowing that a harsh or emotional reaction from her would only push MK away. She steeled herself, took a deep breath and slowly approached her. As she got closer, MK finally looked up at her, meeting her gaze. The look on her face was almost enough to bring the assassin to tears, she could see so much pain in MK’s eyes and knew that she had fallen apart. She told herself that she was going to pick up the pieces.

Natasha sat on the floor opposite MK, and wrapped one hand around one of hers, the other coming up to cup her cheek. She had done this twice before and recognised that the action seemed to calm MK. Her instincts were right as she saw that she was immediately grounded and came back to her senses. MK spoke in a quiet voice, her words slightly slurred by your tears and the dizziness that was beginning to accompany her blood loss. “Nat? Is that you?” The way she looked at her melted her heart. “It’s me, babe. I’m going to help you. Can you move your hand so I can look at your arm?” MK shook her head and began to retreat in on herself, hugging her knees closer to her chest. “Hey, hey, I just want to help you.” Natasha tried to sooth MK. “You’ll get mad, you’ll be angry, I don’t want to let you down.” The end of MK’s sentence was choked off as she let out a strangled sob. Natasha pulled her into an embrace, wrapping her arms around her and shushing her, stroking her back. She didn’t care that she was getting MK’s blood all over her clothes, she just wanted to help her. “I promise I won’t be angry, and you could never let me down. I just need to take a look and make sure you’re ok so you don’t seriously hurt yourself. Okay?” MK gave her a small nod and reluctantly showed her arm.

Natasha winced when she saw the extent of MK’s cuts, noticing a few deep ones that were still weeping blood. She quickly pulled the t-shirt she was wearing over her body, leaving her in just a sports bra, and carefully wrapped it around her arm, careful not to apply too much pressure. “Okay, I’m going to go get a first aid kit from my room so I can properly clean these and dress them. I need you to keep this wrapped around your arm and apply a little bit of pressure, can you do that for me?” She started to get up until she felt MK’s hand on her arm. “Don’t leave me”, she begged her. Natasha took her head in her hands and rested her forehead against MK’s, again something she had noticed had calmed her. “I’m not leaving, I’ve just got to quickly go to my room and get some stuff. It’s right next door, I’ll be back before you know it. Okay?” MK let her slip out of her grasp as she rushed off to her room.

Natasha creeped out of MK’s door and noticed that the rest of the gang had now retired to their own rooms, leaving the lounge area empty. She ran into her apartment and to where she kept her first-aid kit. She kept herself focused, knowing that if she began to think about what was happening she too might fall apart. She grabbed the kit and quickly dashed back to MK’s apartment and walked back into her bathroom. MK looked up at her and smiled, as if she’d just seen her after a long time apart. Natasha returned her smile and slowly removed her t-shirt from her arm. The bleeding had stopped now, so she began to get out some antiseptic wipes.

“Okay, MK, this might sting a little.” She began to clean her arm, softly apologising whenever MK gasped at the pain, and whispering reassuring words to her. When MK’s arm was all cleaned up she began to dress it in a bandage, making sure not to wrap it too tight. Once she was all cleaned and wrapped up she sat beside her, unsure of what to do next. MK turned to look at her and Natasha met her gaze, feeling herself get a little lost in her blue-green eyes.

“Natasha”, MK began. “I’m so sorry for all this, no one was meant to find out it’s just a thing I do and -“. Natasha placed a finger over MK’s lips to silence her. “I’m going to need you to stop right there. You don’t owe me an apology, I came in here myself. And I’m glad I did, so I could patch you up and be here for you. I know that this is a coping mechanism for you and while it’s definitely not the best one, it’s something that you can work through, and I can be here to help you if that’s what you want.” She took hold of MK’s hand and stroked her thumb in circles on the back of her hand. “Nat, I’m so grateful for your help.” MK gave her hand a light squeeze to convey the feelings of gratitude she couldn’t quite express with words. “It’s okay, MK. I think we should get you off this bathroom floor and into bed, you need to rest.” Natasha moved to put MK’s good arm over her shoulder and helped her up, then guided her to her bed. Her legs felt weak and as she stood up she felt dizzy, but Natasha was her anchor. She helped MK lie down in bed then picked up the covers and lay them over her. “Do you want me to stay?” She asked her, voice still carrying an edge of concern. MK looked over to her and gave her a small nod, and at that Natasha climbed into bed next to MK, careful to keep a little distance between the two of them.

MK lay her head on the pillow, and the dull ache coming from her arm was enough to quickly send her to sleep. An hour later, Nat looked over at MK’s still sleeping form. In her sleep she had moved closer to her and now had her arms wrapped around Natasha’s torso. She didn’t mind, in fact she thought MK looked so beautiful and peaceful when she slept. She carefully tucked a piece of her stray hair behind her ear and softly stroked her head. _Oh MK_ , she thought. _What am I going to do with you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think, comments are welcome. I know it’s pretty dark and heavy right now but at some point it will get much lighter!


	4. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MK starts to see light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to a certain redhead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little shorter than the other chapters and it’s basically just fluffy dialogue between the OC and Nat but I don’t regret a single moment. As always please comment any thoughts you have, I know there’s room for me to improve! TW - there’s a very small mention of scars, other than that nothing much in this chapter.

** Chapter 4: Healing  **

MK woke up and immediately registered pain. Before she had even opened her eyes she realised that her body hurt all over, MK felt like she had been hit by a truck. She slowly opened her eyes and winced at the thin rays of sunlight creeping into her room through the gap in the curtain. Once MK came to her senses, she recognised an uncomfortable but familiar pain on her right arm, and then the memories of last night came flooding back to her.

As MK slowly began to wake up fully, she realised that her arms were not wrapped around a pillow as they usually were, but instead around a warm body. MK looked up and saw Natasha, sleeping soundly with her red curls perfectly framing her face. MK had never seen her look so peaceful before, and she couldn’t help but stare a little while, mainly at her sheer beauty. MK then noticed that Natasha began to stir, and panicked, not wanting to be caught staring. She did the first thing that came to mind and shut her eyes and relaxed again, feigning sleep.

Above her, MK heard a sigh, and was pretty sure Natasha was awake now. Natasha tried to stretch as much as she could under her, and MK felt a little guilty that she’d attached herself to her like a koala all night. She sat up a little and spoke softly to herself.

“Shit, when did I fall asleep?” Her voice was low and gravelly from sleep. MK tried to suppress a smile as she realised that Natasha must have been trying to stay awake to watch her sleep. MK couldn’t believe how much compassion Natasha was showing her after just knowing her for a few days. _I don’t deserve it, I don’t deserve her._ MK’s thoughts were interrupted by a soft hand tucking some of her stray chestnut hair behind her ear, which then stopped to cup her cheek. This had become a familiar gesture between MK and Nat, it was something she did to calm her down. MK realised then that most of the time that she had spent with Natasha had been in some sort of crisis, and made a mental note to try and get to know the woman and spend time with her doing things other than freaking out or being attacked. Nat started making slow circles with her thumb on MK’s cheek and she couldn’t help but sigh and move into her touch, which was returned by a small chuckle coming from the redhead. Her glee was interrupted when she felt Natasha’s other hand begin to lightly touch the arm MK had draped over her middle.

Even with her eyes closed, MK could feel that Natasha’s eyes were staring at her wrist, which meant she was looking at her scars. What Natasha did next was something MK couldn’t have predicted. Natasha’s fingertips began to lightly trace the outline of her scars, lingering a little longer at some of the deeper ones that left bumps on her skin. The action radiated a kindness and sympathy that MK was not used to, and it stirred a warm feeling in her chest that made her want to tear up a little.

“You’re terrible at fake sleeping, you know that right?” MK instantly stopped breathing and felt a warmth creeping into her cheeks, not knowing how to react now that she’d been caught red handed. She decided to just bite the bullet and slowly opened her eyes and sheepishly looked up at Natasha. She met her gaze with a smile and those brilliant green eyes, and MK couldn’t help but smile back, stunned again by her beauty.

“I’m sorry, I woke up a little before you and felt embarrassed about how I’d sprawled all over you so when you started to wake up I just panicked.” Natasha just laughed at MK’s attempt of an apology, but there was no malice in the sound. In fact, her warm laughter was one of the most beautiful sounds MK had ever heard. “It’s okay, I didn’t mind, it’s kinda cute actually. You’re like a little koala bear.” MK buried her face into Natasha’s side with embarrassment, then reached for the nearest pillow and launched it at her face. Natasha threw her head back with laughter.

“I’m sorry for teasing, it’s just funny.” She finally said. “What’s so funny about it, I can’t help the way I sleep.” MK said in a childish manner with a pout on her face. Natasha’s face got a little more serious as she began speaking again. “It’s just, you have all this power and strength, and they wanted to make you cold and tough, but really you’re all mush on the inside. And I’m glad, that they couldn’t completely take away your humanity.” MK sat up at that so that she was at eye level with Natasha. Her words resonated with MK on a deeper level than she had expected. Usually if someone was trying to talk like this with MK she would shut herself off and push them away, but with Natasha it seemed a little easier, so MK decided to let her in just a little.

“Sometimes it feels like they did take my humanity. Or at least some parts of me. I’m always desperately trying to remember who I was before all this, but it feels like it’s always slipping out of my grasp.” MK looked down now, finding it difficult to look at Natasha, scared she might see her differently. Natasha gently put her hand under MK’s chin and pushed her head up so that she was looking at her again. “Maybe you should stop trying to be the old MK. You’ve changed massively as a person, and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. You could always try learning who you are as a person now.” Again, her words made MK think deeply, and she met her gaze once more, feeling a strong connection with the redhead. MK couldn’t explain what it was between them, were they friends, colleagues? All she knew is this brilliant woman had come into her  life and made everything a little brighter. Natasha took her silence as an opportunity to speak again.

“I’m going out on a limb here, but I think a lot of your issues with yourself are based around your powers and abilities because of the serum. Am I close?” MK pondered her question for a second before nodding. Natasha was right in a sense, MK didn’t know how to deal with what she was capable of. “I know that they made you this way to be used as a weapon, and I know that sometimes you might think that that is all you are. But you could use these abilities for good. You could take them and use them for what you want, and prove to yourself that you are so much more than what they intended you to be.” Natasha grabbed MK’s hands and held them intertwined with her own. MK closed her eyes in order to stop the brewing tears from falling. Natasha gave her hands a reassuring squeeze.

“Train with me”, Natasha said suddenly. MK gave her a look of confusion at her proposition. “What? You don’t have to try and make me feel better.” MK returned. “No, I want to train with you. Just try it, it always makes me feel better. Plus you can see what it’s like to train on your own terms without being forced into it. Plus myself and the team are kind of dying to see you in action, especially Tony.” MK looked into her eyes to find the joke, and waited to hear the punchline. But from the hopeful look on Natasha’s face she could tell she was serious. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Training could be good, if MK get herself into a routine it could stop her from going completely insane. Plus, maybe someone on the team could help her control her powers more. It would also mean she got to spend more time with Natasha, which made MK pretty excited, though she wasn’t quite sure why.

“Okay fine.” MK said. The excited smile she was met with from Natasha made it pretty worthwhile if she was being honest. “Amazing! I’ll come by tomorrow morning after breakfast and we can head to the gym”, she chirped eagerly.

“Sounds like a plan.” Natasha got up from MK’s bed and made her way out of the room, stopping before she left to look over her shoulder and throw MK a wave and a small smile. MK lay back down in bed and felt a smile creeping it’s way up her features. Maybe this place won’t be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a comment with any advice or suggestions you may have. I’m considering maybe doing a chapter soon from Natasha’s POV, would that be a good idea? Idk i’m rambling but yeah hope you liked it! <3


	5. In Her Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha tries to sort her feelings about you after she learns a hard truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So as promised this is a chapter from Natashas POV. I wasn’t going to write this but then a lovely reader commented asking me to and gave me the motivation so thank you! I’m not too confident about this as this is my first time writing as Natasha, please comment and let me know how you think I did, also feel free to comment on if you have any preferences about the story. Lots of love!
> 
> PS: Thank you guys so much for over 100 hits, it actually makes me so happy that people take the time to read and comment and leave kudos so thank you!

 

** Chapter 5 - In Her Eyes **

 

“Sounds like a plan.” Natasha got up to leave MK’s room and threw her a quick wave and smile over her shoulder as she left. MK returned her smile and this time Natasha could see that it reached her eyes. MK's eyes were so intriguing to her. When Natasha had first met her they were the first thing that caught her attention, a piercing light green that in some lights just bordered on blue. But it wasn’t just the colour that captured Natasha's attention when she first saw MK, it was the raw emotion held in them. It was like she could see her pain and suffering, and the burden she carried. Natasha could tell that MK felt that she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders and one of her first thoughts was that she wanted to help MK, to relieve that weight. Truthfully, Natasha still hadn’t figured out why MK now meant a lot to her and why she was so determined to help her.

 

Natasha made her way into the living room and sat herself down on the sofa. Clint saw her and made his way over, sitting himself beside her on the couch. “Morning.” He said with his usual gruff morning voice. “Morning.” Natasha replied, not having the energy to look him in the eye, instead just continuing to stare at the table in front of her. She had hoped that maybe this might get Barton to leave her alone, but in hindsight that was naive of her.

“So, the girl really got in your head huh?” Natasha quickly snapped her attention to him and looked at his face with a slight glare. Of course he would know what she was thinking about, damn guy was almost psychic. 

“It’s nothing.” Natasha told him, knowing full well he would still pry, but it was worth a try.

“You know damn well it isn’t nothing, and so do I. I get it though.” She faced him again with a questioning look. “Oh, you get it? Because I don’t, so please enlighten me.” He sighed and rolled his eyes at her, and began to explain.

 

“You saw a girl who had been taken way too young and rigorously trained to become a weapon. Sound familiar?” Natasha sighed and looked away from him while she contemplated what he said. In all honesty, he was right to an extent. MK’s story was similar to Natasha's own and she figures she's trying to break the cycle, show MK compassion because she knows that it would have helped her. But Natasha knew it was more than that. 

“I just want to help her, it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Besides, she could be a huge asset to the team. I’m training with her tomorrow, I want to see what she can do.” Clint stared at her with a scrutinising look on his face. Natasha threw a stern glare back at him and he gave in.

“Fine”, he said and threw his hands in the air. “Are you going to tell Fury? You know he wants to see her in training.” He was right, Natasha could tell Fury’s main interest was in MK. The twins were powerful and would make great agents, but MK was supposed to be Hydra’s final solution. She could tell Fury thought there was more to her than meets the eye, and frankly so did Natasha.

“I’ll think about it, but I don’t want her to think I’m doing it so that she can be observed. Besides it could freak her out. I need to show her we’re different than HYDRA and the people who kept her.” 

“You’ve got a point.” Clint replied. “Maybe just talk to her about it, you could probably get through to her. You’re the only one on the team I think she’s actually spoken to.” 

“Give her time Clint, she’s allowed to feel a little messed up.” At that, Clint nodded and walked out, patting her on the shoulder as he left. 

 

Natasha was about to put her feet up and relax when Maria walked in, and by the look on her face Natasha knew something was wrong. 

“What’s up, Hill?” She questioned, already getting an uncomfortable feeling.

“Agent Romanoff, Fury wants to see you in Stark’s lab.” At that she turned around and walked out again. Natasha could instantly tell by Maria's body language and tone of voice that something was wrong, particularly due to the fact that she called her Agent Romanoff. This meant business.

She made her way down to Tony’s lab to find Fury, Maria and Tony all gathered around a screen with stern looks on their faces. Fury looked up at her as she entered the room. 

“Agent Romanoff, there’s something I think you should see.” Natasha approached the screen they were all watching with cautious curiosity.

“What is it?” Tony then looked at her with a more sorrowful look. “I think you should watch for yourself.” 

He moved to let her stand in front of the screen as a video began playing. 

“We recovered tons of data from the HYDRA base where we recovered the Maximoffs”, Tony began explaining. “JARVIS just got done decrypting some video files. It’s all footage of the twins and MK being tested on or trained. We found this one of MK that is particularly-“

“Just let her watch it, Stark.” Fury cut him off and Natasha returned her attention back to the screen.

The video showed a dimly lit cell with one chair in the middle of the room. MK was chained to the chair and her head hung to the side, showing she was either unconscious or close to it. A scientist in a white coat was ordering her to perform tasks using her powers. Whenever she tried to refuse, a burly HYDRA guard stood beside her would strike her in the face or punch her in the stomach. Natasha flinched as she saw each blow land, watching MK become more subdued but still refusing to co-operate. The scientist then held up his hand signalling the guard to stop. He walked over to a lever on the wall and pulled it down. The lightbulb hanging over MK's head began to flicker as the chains wrapped around her become live with electricity. The audio of the video was poor, but Natasha could still hear the chilling scream that ripped its way out of MK's throat, she sounded more like a wounded animal than a human.

The scientist continued to yell at MK over her screams to use her powers. Then, almost when Natasha thought the torture would never end, a crimson glow began to fill MK’s eyes and it slowly wrapped its way around her body. Then in a flash of light, the energy building around her released in a shockwave, like an explosion. The scientist and the guard were blown backwards into the wall, and Natasha could tell by the way their bodies fell that the impact killed them. MK looked at what had happened and began to scream again, this time eventually subsiding into quite sobbing, before another guard stormed into the room and punched her again, which finally knocked her out. Tony turned the video off, and Natasha looked at him, searching for answers. 

“How many more videos are there like this?” She asked Tony. Her voice wavered ever so slightly with emotion, despite her best efforts to keep a calm composure and hold down the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. It was the subtlest of differences, and no one seemed to notice.

“There are hundreds of videos showing torture like that, but that was the first one where her powers seemingly lost control. We also looked over the relevant notes pertaining to that video, and the casualties were confirmed.”

Tony’s words left a somber silence hanging in the air between them for a moment. It bordered on uncomfortable before Fury spoke up.

“Clearly we are dealing with a very powerful individual, one that also needs to be handled with care. Agent Romanoff, have you managed to get through to MK at all during her time here?”

“We’ve spoken a little yeah, and she seems to trust me. I’ve been trying to help her through some stuff. She actually agreed to train with me tomorrow morning.”

Maria shared a look with Fury then, and Natasha wasn’t quite sure what it meant. “Good work, Agent Romanoff. I want you to continue to make MK feel welcome with everyone and make sure she knows she is safe here. HYDRA are no doubt going to want to come back for their super soldier and when they do, I want to make sure MK chooses to side with us under her own free will. She could be a vital member of the team.” 

“Yes sir.” Natasha replied. She turned and walked out of Tony’s lab, careful to keep her emotions in check until she reached her room. She sat down on her bed and finally let the tears fall. A normal person would be shocked at how people can be so cruel as to treat a person like that, but her own experience had taught her that there are evil people out there, and she knew better than to sit and contemplate the reasons why people do this. Despite the many emotions Natasha felt, she was sure of one thing. Her resolve to help MK was stronger than ever. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? As always feel free to comment they really make my day! See you next chapter <3


	6. Teach Me How To Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers finally get to see MK in training, but can she maintain control? What happens when a powerful being slips up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for having such a long break before uploading! If anyone was even bothered about the next chapter then I’m sorry I made you wait haha, I hope you enjoy, updates should become more regular again 💕 please leave me a comment if you fancy

** Chapter 6: Teach Me How To Breathe **

 

MK woke up to the sunlight creeping into her room through the blinds, and began to move. She stretched her body out, feeling her muscles flex as she rid herself of any morning stiffness. She got out of bed feeling well rested, and began her morning routine. 

MK's body buzzed with a quiet excitement, knowing that she was finally going to train today. She still had mixed feelings about training, it was something that she was able to enjoy back at HYDRA when she wasn’t forced into it. MK loved having something that to excel at, loved the smugness she allowed herself to feel when try as they might, HYDRA's best warriors couldn’t come close to being a match for her. Today would be her first training session in her new life at the Avengers tower, and MK was looking forward to showing everyone just what she could do. 

MK walked up to the closet and looked at all the clothes that had been given to her by Tony when she arrived and found some workout clothes that she felt comfortable in. She chose some black yoga pants and a modest sports bra. Her arms, shoulders, back and stomach were exposed. Usually MK wouldn’t show this much skin, but she decided to bite the bullet, reasoning that no one was going to be looking at her body, even if she hoped a certain redhead might be captivated. 

Once MK was happy with her outfit she pulled her hair into a tight, sleek ponytail and made her way down to the gym. Natasha and Steve were there to greet her, and she spotted the other Avengers up in the viewing gallery alongside Nick Fury. MK swallowed the lump in her throat that formed with the realisation that she was being watched, and schooled her expression so that no one could see her apprehension. She made eye contact with Natasha and gave her a small smirk, and then focused her attention on Steve who had walked up to greet her.

“Good Morning Ms. Maximoff.” He began in his deep, serious ‘Captain’ voice. 

“Please, just call me MK” she replied giving him a smile, at which his stern exterior relaxed a little and he gave her a big grin. 

“Okay, MK. We’ll be straight with you, the training you’ll be doing here today is also going to be our opportunity to observe and assess your abilities and skills, if that’s ok with you. At any point if you feel uncomfortable give us a shout and we’ll call it off.” 

“No need for that Cap, I’m ready for whatever you can throw at me.” He gave a light chuckle before continuing. 

“Please, it’s Steve. And if you’re sure, then let’s begin.”

 

—————————————————————

Natasha woke up at 6 am sharp that morning just like any other day. She had carried out her morning routine and then headed down to the training area, not surprised to see most of the team there waiting, as well as Maria and Fury. Still, she asked the question she already knew the answer to.

“What are you all doing here?”  Tony was the first to speak up.

“Well I think I speak for most of us when I say that we all want to see what the big fuss is about HYDRA’s precious weapon of mass destruction .” She shot him an icy glare at his comment and saw his cocky expression falter a little. She walked up to him and got in his face, then spoke in a low monotone voice that she knew would intimidate him, because it intimidated everyone.

“She has a name Stark. MK is a person, she didn’t choose this. So it would be real sweet of you to not be a complete asshole for once.” Natasha could see that her words had left Stark dumbfounded and he was sensible enough not to challenge the woman any more. Clint had silently watched the exchange from the sidelines, not missing how fiercely Natasha defended MK. Natasha turned to face the room and addressed everyone.

“Well, seeing as I have all your attention, let me make one thing clear. MK isn’t a circus act for your entertainment, she’s a person. A person with feelings and emotions, who’s been through things that none of us could probably comprehend. The first person to make a comment, or even look at her the wrong way, or make her feel uncomfortable about anything, has me to deal with. Understood?” 

Most of the team agreed, not wanting to test Natasha. Clint caught her eye and raised an eyebrow at her cockily, and she sent him a glare in return which only made his cheeky grin spread wider. Just as the tension in the room bordered on becoming uncomfortable, everyone looked towards the door as they heard it swing open and saw MK confidently walk in. 

Natasha noticed her steps falter ever so slightly as she registered her audience but MK quickly schooled her expression and began exchanging witty conversation with Steve. Natasha's chest felt warm with a feeling akin to pride at how MK handled herself, a stark contrast to the broken girl she had picked up off the bathroom floor just over 24 hours prior. Her musings were interrupted by a small laugh from Steve followed by MK saying she was ready to begin. Natasha sat on the nearby bench, never taking her eyes off MK as Steve began the first exercise, leading her to an assortment of punching bags hanging from the ceiling. Natasha knew the intention, it was a test of her strength. She got comfortable as she prepared to observe.

 

—————————————————————

 

MK focused on her body language and facial expressions as Steve led her over to some punching bags. She wanted to appear calm and confident, and especially didn’t want to tip anyone off as to how anxious she was truly feeling. It wasn’t about the training itself, in all honesty MK was excited to get a good session in. What unnerved her more was how the others perceptions of her will inevitably change once they see just what she's capable of, what HYDRA made her capable of. But more than anything, it was Natasha’s reaction MK was most apprehensive about. Despite knowing her for such a short time MK already felt a deep connection with her, which she supposed was unsurprising considering the experiences she has shared with her, and how much Natasha has seen of her, the _real_   MK. She tried to snap herself out of her worries and focus on the task at hand. MK decided the best course of action was to not hold back, she could only gain these people’s trust by being open, rather than hiding the extent of her power. 

MK turned her attention back to Steve, who was checking the harnesses that hung the punching bags, and gave them a firm tug to check they could withstand the force. Seemingly satisfied, he stepped back and gestured for MK to begin. She assumed a combat stance, before he spoke up again. “We’re aware that you’re highly proficient in hand to hand combat, so instead of showing me that, I want you to hit the bag at full strength, no holding back.” 

MK felt her body tense as she realised the intentions of what Steve asked her to do. They wanted to see her strength and how much the serum had enhanced her. MK swallowed her nerves and replaced it with determination.  _They want a show, I’ll give them a damn show._

MK slightly adjusted her stance and let out a steady breath, then settled into the mindset that was so familiar, and took comfort in it. She quickly drew her arm back and punched the bag with force, not 100%, but enough. The impact made a loud sound and the chains holding the bag from the ceiling almost shattered as the bag went flying across the room, knocking over a stand filled with weights as it landed. The whole scene made quite a mess, and MK winced a little at the noise. She instinctively looked over at Natasha to find her already looking directly back at her. She had a small smirk on her face and sent MK a wink, which she took as silent support. Her confidence grew at that, and she turned back towards Steve who had a slightly shocked expression on his face. He quickly gained his composure and was about to speak before the sound of Director Fury’s voice sounded over the tannoy. 

“Captain Rogers, if you could please move Ms. Maximoff to Level 5 and proceed from there.”

Steve then wordlessly walked MK over to the 5th punching bag along on the line he had set up, and she quickly realised that each one was probably meant to be heavier than the previous. MK felt proud (and slightly smug) at the fact that she’d graduated straight to Level 5, even if part of the reason was the fact that Tony probably didn’t want his entire gym destroyed. 

MK settled in front of the bag now in front of her, and gave it an experimental push. She could tell by the little swing that this one was much denser. She assumed an appropriate stance again, having made up her mind of the manoeuvre she would use, knowing her legs held so much more strength than her arms. Almost as if it was muscle memory, MK jumped and twisted her body round to bring her leg into contact with the bag with a devastating kick, and watched with glee as once again the bag broke free of the chains holding it up and began to fly across the room, only this time she was prepared. MK closed her eyes to focus and reached out one hand towards the bag and froze it mid-air, using her powers to keep it suspended there. When MK opened her eyes she saw the bag easily suspended in mid-air as she knew it would be, and looked around to take in the expressions of her spectators. 

Steve was looking at the bag in awe, whilst Clint had a sly smile on his face, seemingly aware that MK was giving them a performance. She liked him already.

Tony looked on the verge of annoyed at her impressive demonstration, but perhaps it was a spot of envy? He should be grateful, she had the courtesy to catch this one instead of continuing to destroy his gym. Bruce was staring at the bag with a curious look on his face, as if he was trying to use science to explain her ability. MK saw no malice in his expression, just genuine curiosity that came with his passion for knowledge. Bruce was another that she was starting to warm up to. On the balcony, she spotted Sam with a gobsmacked impression on his face, as his jaw hung open slightly. 

MK finally settled her gaze onto Natasha, who still had a smirk on her face, but she could see in her eyes she was surprised. Natasha raked her eyes hungrily up and down MK's body and her expression changed to something she couldn’t quite place. MK turned her attention back to the bag she was still holding in mid-air, but just as she was about to lower it to the ground, a deafening symphony of voices made itself present. Mk instinctively closed her eyes and threw her hands to her ears to try and drown out the sound, and somewhere in the distance she registered the sound of the bag crashing to the floor, but paid no attention as the voices seemed to only get impossibly louder. 

MK tried to focus her mind, and eventually managed to single out the voices and was able to separate them, which quietened them in the process. They became clearer until she could start to hear what they were saying.

_ ‘ What the hell is she doing?’ _

_‘What’s wrong with her?’_

_‘Jesus Christ look at the mess she’s made.’_

_‘Why is she glowing red?’_

_‘So much for superhuman, she’s unhinged.’_

The words cut into her like knives and MK couldfeel her heart begin to race. The voices began to get louder and more unintelligible as her panic began to rise, and she felt herself slowly lose control. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liked it? Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger ooooh you’ll have to tune in soon to see what happens. Also i want your opinions, do we want a slow burn between Nat and MK where they are friends for a long time or shall we go straight into the romance? let me know!


	7. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back, if anyone is still reading this at all. Life has been crazy which is why there was another long wait between an update. I actually should have posted this about three weeks ago but then I lost my phone which had the chapter on it and I only got it back today, so to make it up I made it longer and added some fluff. Anyways, enjoy

**Chapter 7: Aftermath**

MK woke up to a blinding white light above her head, with a slight ringing in her ears. She felt a headache make its presence known and decided to close her eyes to avoid battling with the harsh light above her. With the lack of visual awareness for the time being, MK's other senses began to come into focus. Her hearing came first, and the first sound she registered was a steady beeping she identified as a heart monitor, and absently wondered whose heart rate she was currently listening to. Then MK began to regain feeling in her extremities, and a dull ache made itself known in her right hand, which developed into a tight uncomfortable throb. It probably would have hurt if she was an ordinary human, but then again she wasn’t, was she?

MK's hearing was clearer now and most of her body had regained sensation, but the pounding in her head didn't subside so she still kept her eyes closed for the time being. Her throat felt dry and scratchy as if she’d  been yelling for days on end without a break or a drink, and she suddenly realized that there was nothing she wouldn't do for a merciful glass of water right now.

MK decided to try and move, but as she tried to lift her arm, she felt something cold and hard stopping her from moving. MK tried again with more force but it was to no avail. As her panic grew, her eyes shot open, headache be damned. MK frantically looked around and realized very quickly she was in some sort of hospital bed, and was surrounded by machines. There were several electrodes attached to her head and chest, connected to a machine that revealed the heartbeat she could hear was her own.

There was a cannula inserted into MK's right arm which explained the ache, and there were a silver pair of handcuffs on each hand attached to the bedposts that were keeping her confined in the bed. She looked out through the glass doors of her room and could see Bruce and Tony having a heated discussion. Bruce had a grim, almost sad look on his face, whilst Tony's face was the clear picture of anger. It looked like Bruce was trying to calmly reason with him, but Tony was repeatedly shooting him down.

MK tried once again to pull against the handcuffs to get free, and each time they refused to budge. Confusion mapped across her face, with a furrowed brow. A pair of handcuffs should be nothing to her, why couldn't she break them? 

After several more futile attempts at breaking free, MK decided to give up, the handcuffs showing no signs of giving. If her body wouldn't co-operate, she’d have to use her mind. She took a few deep breaths for clarity and closed her eyes, and began the process of opening up her mind to try and reach out to her sister. Connecting with other people's minds was a tricky craft, but finding Wanda's was as easy as opening a door, as it was a mind MK was so familiar with, and because of Wanda's abilities, it was like the door was open at both ends, making the journey that much easier.

But this time as she tried to reach out, there was nothing. Usually in her mind, she could see and hear thoughts and images from those around her, peoples emotions would swirl around her like cars driving past in a busy city. But right now, all MK could see was darkness, and she could hear nothing.

This time, fear crept through her.  _Where is my sister._

MK's panic increased tenfold, and so did her heart rate, made clear by the incessant beeping from the monitor beside her that was getting increasingly faster, until an alarm started to blare. At the sound of the alarm, Tony and Bruce stopped their conversation, and Bruce rushed into the room.

"MK, calm down, you're not in any danger." His voice was calm and soothing but his eyes betrayed him, and showed something else under his cool exterior. Was it fear?

"What have you done to her? Why can't I hear her!" MK's voice cracked as she all but yelled at Bruce.

"Who?" Bruce asked, the confusion clear on his face.

"Wanda! Where's my sister, you've done something to her, I can't hear her, If you hurt her I swear on my life-"

"We haven't touched your sister. She's sat outside with your brother waiting to see you. You can't hear her because she isn't in the room." It was Tony who spoke this time, significantly more snappy than Bruce but still with some sympathy in his voice.

"No you don't understand, I can't  _hear_ her. I can always hear her, I can always find them but there's nothing." MK tried to convey what she meant, nearly resorting to begging just so she could find out what was wrong with her sister.

"Tony I don't think she means hearing Wanda's voice."

"Yeah Bruce, I got it. JARVIS, tell the twins they can come in now."

It seemed that Wanda and Pietro must have been ready to bolt in to the room as soon as they got permission, because JARVIS had barely finished his announcement before a flash of blue appeared and there were MK's siblings, with Pietro having sped in with Wanda in his arms. Wanda was the first to drop to her knees at MK's bedside and took a hold of her hand, being mindful of the needle that was embedded in there.

" _Sestra,_ what happened? I haven't been able to hear you since you... Well since you passed out."

"I couldn't hear you either, I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't even find you or Pietro."

Confusion etched across Wanda's face at MK's words, and it looked like she was going to speak again before she was cut off by an outburst at the foot of the bed.

Pietro stood in front of Tony, towering over the relatively short man with a furious look on his face.

"Why the fuck is my sister in  _handcuffs?!_  She didn't do anything wrong, she's not a criminal." His face was a light shade of red and his breathing was audible as he seethed at Tony, the tendons in his neck straining with his frustration.

"Pietro. It's fine, just let them explain" MK tried to soothe her brother as best as she could, and at her words he visibly relaxed, much less on edge once he realized his sister wasn't in any pain or immediate danger.

Bruce looked at MK's siblings and Tony with an apprehensive look on his face, before letting out a soft sigh and resting his gaze on MK.

"MK, do you remember what happened before you woke up? Anything at all?" Bruce asked.

"Not really. I was in the training room with Cap and everyone was there watching. I just remember that I could hear so many thoughts, from everyone in the room, and then I just remember pain and I could hear someone screaming, and then nothing."

Wanda gave her hand a squeeze, almost as if she was trying to tell MK that she was there. That everything would be OK.

Wanda was the next to speak, in that soft voice that MK knew meant she wasn't going to like what she said. "Do you remember back at Strucker's facility, when you had those - uhm -  _episodes_." She emphasized the word and gave her a look, knowing that it was something MK wanted to keep a secret from the other members living at the compound. The scientists used to call it a solar flare. Whenever MK was put through a particularly grueling form of torture, usually when she refused to do something they asked her, her powers would go out of control and release a devastating wave of energy that usually ended up killing everyone near her. 

MK's heart began to race and fear set in as her eyes widened.

"No, I didn't- that's not possible, no one was hurting me. Did I hurt someone?" The fear was so apparent on MK's face. It was bad enough when her outburst resulted in casualties back at the facility. The deaths weighed heavily on her conscience to this day, even if they were mindless goons and twisted doctors. But no, the people here were good, they had rescued her and taken her in. Some of them were even starting to become friends, like Clint and-

_Natasha_.

Oh God, _Nat_.

The woman had been MK's support system when she arrived, and had been there every step of the way, holding her hand and whispering soothing words when nightmares shook her. She had asked JARVIS to wake her up every time MK did after a nightmare, and each time Natasha was swiftly at MK's side, helping her through the episodes with nothing but patience and warm kindness.

Before MK could open her mouth to ask about her, Bruce cut her off.

"No one was hurt, Wanda knew what was happening and told everyone to stand back."

Wanda squeezed her hand again, and MK gave her a firm squeeze back, hoping that the action could show how grateful she was for her, because right now words escaped her.

"I think... I think I'd like to be alone now." MK said with a shaky voice. Pietro gave her a wary look, but she just gave him a sad smile and reassured him that she was okay, just tired and overwhelmed. One by one, the visitors filed out of the room, Pietro bending down to give MK a reassuring kiss on her head. The last person in the room, surprisingly, was Tony, who had an unreadable expression on his face. After a minute of what seemed like careful consideration, he crouched down and removed the handcuffs from each of MK's wrists.

"I'm sorry for the precautions kid, I just wanted to prepare for the worst. They were for your benefit more than ours." He gave MK a sad yet soft smile, and patted her lightly on the arm.

"Thanks Tony. Uhm, have you seen Natasha around? I'd like to speak to her, that's if she even wants to see me." MK murmured self-consciously.

"I'll tell her you were looking for her. I also slipped some mild painkillers in your IV, you must hurt all over. They'll send you to sleep pretty soon." With that, he gave her a friendly smile and walked out, dimming the lights as he left.

It wasn't long until the drugs in her system began to make her feel warm and fuzzy, and soon she was overcome by sleep, welcoming it openly.

 

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When MK woke again, it was distinctly more comfortable than the last time. The monitor to her side was much quieter now, and the lights were dimmed so they were emitting a soft glow, making the room seem much more welcoming. The needle was still in her hand, but instead of an uncomfortable ache, all she could register was a hand holding hers, and a thumb making smooth, slow circles on her palm. MK didn’t feel up to the challenge of opening her eyes just yet, so she just decided to relax into the touch as it grounded her. 

“Are you trying to pretend to be asleep on me again?” The smooth voice said with a touch of amusement, and MK knew she was trying not to laugh, even though she couldn’t see her. But it was that voice that had become shockingly familiar to MK after the short amount of time she’d been free, it was like silk, and low as she murmured to her so as not to disturb her.

”Mhmm, eyes heavy. Shhhh”

Natasha let out a soft laugh at MK's grumbled and slightly slurred response, the drugs still doing their job at slowing her down.

”It’s okay babe, you get a bit more rest. I’m not going anywhere.”

MK only gave a content sigh in response, already feeling sleep overcome her again, but not before she registered Natasha's free hand come up to tangle in her hazel locks and soothingly run her fingers through MK's hair, lulling her to sleep.

45 minutes passed before MK woke again, feeling more alert as her super charged metabolism quickly burned through the drugs in her system. Without the comforting numbness provided by the painkillers, her mind began to drift into a pit of self conscious thoughts about what had happened, but before she could spiral she registered the feeling of fingers running through her hair and a thumb still making soft comforting circles on her palm. 

MK's eyes still felt impossibly heavy but, damn it, she wanted to see Natasha's face.

MK turned her head and opened her eyes and was met with that same breathtaking face, and green eyes exploring hers with a warm smile and just a hint of concern etched in her brow. Natasha had kept her promise and hadn’t left MK's side since she first roused. MK almost allowed herself to sit back and relax, staying in this moment of bliss before she remembered the events that had led to this, and the exact reason as to why she was drugged up in a hospital bed. 

Natasha instantly felt MK tense up under her touch and saw the ashamed expression that immediately took over her face, and in turn she gave her a small frown, her concern written in her eyes.

”What is it? What’s wrong, what happened just now?” She sounded so worried, because she _cared_ , and the thought of that caused an unfamiliar tug in MK's chest. 

”Nothings wrong,” MK started, “I just-“

”Don’t. Don’t do that, you don’t have to shut yourself off with me. Please don’t.” Natasha was almost pleading with her now, and it was the first time she’d ever seen the woman look unsure of herself. There was a slight quiver in Natasha's lip as she spoke, which MK wouldn’t have noticed if it weren’t for how close her face was to Natasha's right now. 

Realising that shutting her out would only hurt the both of them, MK gave in and started to explain, her voice just more than a whisper.

”I could have hurt you. I thought I hurt you, or I thought that you wouldn’t want to see me or speak to me, and I couldn’t bear the thought of you not being able to look at me.” Her last few words came out strangled before she let out a breathless sob and began to cry.

”Shhhhh, it’s okay.” Nat whispered soothing words in MK's ear as she let her cry into her shoulder, her arms wrapped around MK, as if she was trying to shield her from anything that could hurt her.

Once MK had calmed down, Natasha gently cupped her face, urging her to look at her, their faces only mere inches apart. 

“I would never abandon you like that, because I know that you could never hurt me, or any of us. What happened was out of your control and it was not your fault.”

MK was lost for words as she continued to get lost in those eyes. Perhaps it was the overwhelming emotion of the moment, or still the lingering effects of the painkillers, but she decided to say exactly what she was thinking, with no regards to the consequences of her words.

”You’re so beautiful. I need you, Nat.”

For the first time since MK had ever set eyes on her, Natasha Romanoff was speechless, a look of confusion on her face as she processed MK's impromptu confession. Her expression changed from confusion to doubt, before she seemingly made her mind up. With her hands still cupped around MK's face, she leant towards her, stoping just centimetres away from her lips, and MK could feel her warm breath tickle her lips as she spoke in a soft whisper.

”Pull away.”

”You pull away.”

They both were frozen for a second, until warm and impossibly soft lips were pressed against each other. MK wasn’t sure which one of them had closed the gap, she was pretty sure they both had, but she couldn’t spare it much more thought because MK was kissing Natasha and more importantly, Natasha was kissing her back. 

The kiss continued as they moved against each other, slow and exploring before Natasha finally pulled away, looking slightly breathless as she smiled down at MK. 

“I’m glad you didn’t pull away” Natasha said with a smile, earning a laugh from MK.

”Me too” MK chuckled. She tried to keep the conversation going, but her body betrayed her and she broke out into a yawn as her eyelids started to feel heavy again. Silently, she tugged on Natasha's arm and shuffled over in the bed, making room for her. Natasha understood what she wanted and climbed into the bed, wrapping her arms around MK and letting her rest her head on her chest.

Natasha's warmth, and the soothing sound of her heartbeat quickly guided MK into a warm peaceful sleep once more, safely tucked away in Natasha’s arms, and slowly working her way into her heart. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their first kiss!!!! We stan a soft and caring Natasha.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to leave a comment suggestion any improvements (be nice) or what you’d like to see in future chapters.


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